The Demigod King; Book 2

"I Can't Let You Do That-It's Sick!"

Percy felt his body recharge, the water around him healing his body like it always had done. He leapt up and out of the lake, stumbling and tripping over himself to get away from the water and sprawling into the rocks and mud. He crashed into the ground, scrambling away from the creek frantically.

But it was too late. He was healing, and there was nothing he could do to stop his body's reaction to the water. He looked down. Sure enough, his wound looked a lot better. It wasn't entirely healed, granted, but it looked like an Apollo kid had fed him a whole square of ambrosia. This was bad.

This was very bad. If Percy healed, Ouranos would discard Nico's body like a shell and come for the son of Poseidon. Nico was as good as dead.

"Shit!" Will cursed, dropping to his knees next to Percy. "Shit, he's going to discard Nico now!"

"I can buy us some time," Percy gasped, pulling up his shirt with shaking hands.

Will's eyes widened with horror. "You can't mean—"

Percy reached his mud-cakes fingers towards his stab wound. "I do."

"I can't let you do that, that's sick!" Will protested. His face was green and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"I'm not asking for permission." With shaking hands, his face pale, Percy dug his fingers into the wound.

He roared in pain as the skin split, fresh blood spilling forth, the healing progress from the creek undone. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would buy them more time.

Will promptly turned over and vomited onto the rocks.

After a little while more, Percy pushed himself to his feet, Will throwing an arm underneath him for support. 

"I had to," Percy breathed. "I had no choice."

Will didn't reply. Percy couldn't tell if the Apollo camper was lost for words or if he was struggling not to throw up again.

"We need to get back to the others," Percy hissed through the pain as they started limping through the forest. "I don't know how long we have--there's no time to lose."

Will nodded. "Look, Percy, I'm sorry—"

Percy shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Will. And you were right. This plan is covered in wholes. It sucks. But I was right, too—it's the only option we've got. So I'm sorry. I know..." he hesitated. "I know how much Nico means to you. And how much you mean to him. I hope—I hope that he can tell you that soon."

Will said nothing, but looked down. They'd made it out of the woods by that point—it had taken Percy a while to get the words out through the pain. They staggered towards the Big House, Will waving over a random camper to help get Percy in.

Annabeth cried out when she saw Percy, her hands flying to her mouth. The other half-bloods were still gathered around the ping pong table just where he'd left them twenty minutes ago. 

"What did you do this time, water boy?" Clarrise muttered as she helped Percy sit down. 

Piper tried to press a towel she found on his chest wound, but Percy grabbed her wrist. 

"You can't," he reminded her. "I need to heal as slowly as possible."

"What in Hades happened?" Frank demanded. 

Percy was shocked. He'd rarely heard such an intense response from the peaceful son of Mars. "It doesn't matter. The point is we need to figure out our plan, fast. We have no idea when Ouranos will decide to switch bodies. If he knows what happened--if he somehow figures out that I can heal that fast just from being exposed to water...We're just a ticking time bomb."